Part 1 : How to apply “Eco-design” principles to the shop window?

How to choose materials for the base and walls of you shop window and decorate them?

1. Opt for MDF or OSB panels. These are low in formaldehyde - a substance extremely harmful to health. They are also portable, easy to replace, recycled and recyclable. On the other hand, avoid composite materials such as vinyl, melamine or laminates, which remain difficult, or even impossible, to recycle. 

2. When decorating, choose environmentally-friendly paints or linoleum. This is made from 97% natural materials, 72% of which can be rapidly recovered and 43% of which are recycled. Other sustainable solutions include wood panelling, wallpaper, cotton, linen, hemp, wool, coconut fibre or bamboo panels, metal, glass, ceramic, cork, natural stone and plant-based materials. 

Which materials should I choose for my display? 

3. Opt for modular structures, raw materials, single-material structures or solid wood, which can easily be reused.
To say abreast of trends and seasons, a display must be changed at least fifteen times per year. These backdrops and materials are all reusable and easy to recycle!

How to source decorative pieces on a budget?

4. Consider hiring or borrowing furniture, or using salvaged materials to refresh your display without generating waste! This is a particularly good idea if you can’t afford to buy new items of decor every time you change your display.

5. Scour flea markets and second hand stores for decorative pieces.

6. Think outside the box and create displays using unusual materials. Sometimes a few cables and clips are all it takes...                           

7. Plan future displays. Plan ahead and choose decor items that can be reused several times, or even in every display. This will reduce waste and expenditure - another step towards a more sustainable economy! 

8. Choose timeless pieces that can be reused for multiple seasons and events.

9. All decorative objects, even second hand ones, must be immaculately clean and regularly dusted. Throw out those sun-bleached artificial flowers! 

Lighting by day and by night: how to actively contribute to reducing waste  

10. Opt for a system that adjusts lighting levels automatically according to the time of day. Contrary to popular belief, window displays need less lighting at night than during the day. A window that receives a lot of light during the day needs stronger lighting to contrast with the natural brightness. Remember that certain anti-light pollution regulations require lights in window displays to be turned off at a set time. 

Be aware of the current regulations in your municipally.

11. Turn off your window displays at night to combat light pollution.

 In France, for example, turning off window displays between 1 and 7 a.m.:

• has saved the equivalent of the annual electricity consumption of 750,000 households since 2015;
• has prevented 205,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions; 
• has generated 200 million euros in savings; 
• has helped safeguard biodiversity by preventing unnecessary light pollution.